From the damp Welsh valleys to the winding Scandinavian roads, is Dirt returning from the arcade to its simulator roots?
Dirt Rally has been tried and tested in alpha by PC gamers in the hundred-thousands over the last year. The result of this extensive testing process is a full-fat authentic rally classic. This game does not offer Forza’s custom paint schemes and hundreds of cars; it only claims to be the most accurate rally simulator for the recreational market. This is a big claim, but backed up by technical expertise and devotion from a team that even boasted an in-house rally driver.
The development team talked at length in an interview about the process they went through to realise the game’s potential. Running the new car models on the existing rally track designs, the cars were just not responding to the environment naturally. Realising this was the problem, the programmers began to tear apart the current simulator models, creating layers of substrate for the cars to respond to. The final upshot is that Dirt Rally has been seen in the hands of real rally drivers looking for a spot of extra practice at home! As you slip across ice or feel the tires jar on a puddle, you are pulled heart and soul into the wheels of the car in your control.
The game not only feels great but looks stunning too. Not only a pretty face, however, as the physical design is shaped to bring even more realism. The narrowing of the roads from the arcade-style widths of previous titles give you no room for error. This, combined with the fluid 60fps, forces you to drive at realistic speeds – yes you can floor the throttle and do 100mph down a sheep path, but you will have brown trousers afterwards. This means the braking physics and time you need to process the track and its evolution is spot on for real life. As a driver myself, I know only too well how approaching a hairpin too fast can feel, before and after you realise your predicament.
Dirt Valley was developed by Codemasters
Next up in the development is the sound which is often a nice bauble with a good line up of artists for the menu soundtrack. This time the soundtrack almost seems like a side thought. On the track, however, you switch the sound off or turn it down at your peril. If you can’t hear the squeal from the brakes you are either not hitting them hard enough, or they are locked and you are headed for a scrub lap. The slide of the tires over mud, the roar of the engine, the ricochet of stones off the car and the sudden silence as you leave earth momentarily is all part of the magic.
This game is not only a work to be proud of for the developers but for those who play it as well. Few things in life can give you the adrenaline rush and pleasure of rising to a genuine challenge and triumphing. As I posted 9th in the world after zen-like concentration for ten stages of a daily leaderboard rally, it felt like a real achievement. This emotional connection and wish to share the experience with others is what all games should be about. Thank you, Codemasters, for your efforts. And to anyone reading this, I will see you on the track.
Author: Joe, Bath store
